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Post by veu on Aug 6, 2020 3:41:18 GMT -5
From Vogue Australia: HOME / CULTURE / FEATURES
All the Disney live-action remakes to watch in 2021
Lucie Clark
6 Aug 2020
Who doesn’t love a Disney classic? Fall in love with your favourite Disney movie all over again by way of a live-action remake. Here, all the Disney live-action remakes we can expect to see in 2021.
The Little Mermaid, 1989
Talks about this live-action remake have been happening for a few years now with Variety reporting it is finally coming together. According to the publication the upcoming film is set to feature new music from Lin-Manuel Miranda and Alan Menken, as well as old favourites from the original. Mary Poppins Returns director Rob Marshall will direct and Bridesmaids actress Melissa McCarthy is in talks to play the sea witch, Ursula. The Hollywood Reporter reports Awkwafina and Jacob Tremblay are in talks to play Ariel's friends Scuttle and Flounder, respectively.
Variety reports the title role of Ariel has been cast with R&B singer Halle Bailey set to take on the iconic role. The singer is one-half of R&B sister duo, Chloe x Halle, and has the pipes to really bring this character to life. “After an extensive search, it was abundantly clear that Halle possesses that rare combination of spirit, heart, youth innocence, and substance - plus a glorious singing voice - all intrinsic qualities necessary to play this iconic role,” the publication reports the film's director, Marshall, said in a statement.
Ariel's love interest, Prince Eric, has been cast with Variety reporting newcomer Jonah Hauer-King has been tapped to take on the role. The actor has just a handful of credits to his name so far, including a stint on 2017's TV mini-series Little Women and a role in 2019 family movie, A Dog's Way Home.
As for who will take on the role of Ariel's father, King Triton, Variety reports Javier Bardem is on board to play the king of the sea and Hamilton star, Daveed Diggs, is in talks to play Sebastian the crab.
Cruella, 1961
Originally appearing in 101 Dalmatians, Cruella is getting her own movie starring Oscar-winner Emma Stone. According to The Hollywood Reporter, Emma Thompson will star alongside Stone and Paul Walter Hauser has joined the project. Killing Eve's Kirby Howell-Baptiste has also reportedly joined the Cruella cast list. Craig Gillespie, who worked on I, Tonya, will direct the film.
Per The Hollywood Reporter, the movie will be set in the 1980s and will have a “punk vibe”. Cruella was slated for a December 2020 release but has reportedly been pushed back to May 2021.
Hercules, 1997
One of Disney’s lesser-known but still beloved animated musical films, Hercules, inspired by the hero of the same name from Greek mythology is getting the live-action remake treatment.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, the project is in the early stages of development at Disney, with a number of high profile names rumoured to be attached. Per the publication, the Russo brothers, the directing duo behind Avengers: Endgame, are slated to be producing the new iteration of the Disney classic, with screenwriter Dave Callaham (who penned the upcoming Wonder Woman sequel, Wonder Woman 1984, along with The Expendables films) reportedly set to write the script.
No casting news as yet or details on how closely the live-action version will follow the original plot or if, indeed, it will include musical elements as the original did. But, watch this space, we’ll update this story as more details of this exciting new project come to hand.
Peter Pan, 1953
We’ll have the chance to be whisked off to Neverland with Peter very soon with the two leads, Peter and Wendy, of Disney's live-action Peter Pan remake reportedly cast, per Variety.
According to the publication Ever Anderson and Alexander Molony have been cast in the iconic roles of Wendy and Peter, respectively.
Anderson is the daughter of actress Milla Jovovich and director Paul W. S. Anderson and is a Hollywood newcomer with just one IMDB credit to her name so far—2016's Resident Evil: The Final Chapter. However, that is all set to change with her casting as Wendy and, as Variety reports, a part in Marvel's upcoming Black Widow film as the younger version of Scarlett Johansson's titular character.
Molony is also relatively new to Tinseltown with just a handful of credits including TV series The Reluctant Landlord on his CV.
In further casting news, Collider reports Oscar-nominated English actor, Jude Law, is in talks to play the story’s villain, Captain Hook.
Variety reports Pete's Dragon director, David Lowery, will direct the live-action Peter Pan remake.
Pinocchio, 1940
Pinocchio will finally get to be a real boy in this live-action remake. According to Deadline, Robert Zemeckis, the Oscar-winning director of Forrest Gump, is on board to direct Disney's live-action Pinocchio and may be reuniting with Forrest Gump actor, Tom Hanks. Per the publication, Hanks is in early talks to take on the iconic role of Geppetto. Zemeckis and Chris Weitz are reportedly penning the script with Weitz also set to produce along with Andrew Miano.
Snow White, 1937
Snow White and her seven dwarfs will also be getting their own live-action remake. Being Disney’s oldest film, we can’t wait to see it brought into the 21st Century. The project is already shaping up to be a must-see with La La Land songwriters Benj Pasek and Justin Paul working on new songs and according to The Hollywood Reporter, the filmmaker behind the Amazing Spider-Man movies, Marc Webb, currently in talks to direct.
Genies, 1992
There have been talks of a Genie-centred movie for quite a while. The live-action movie will be a prequel to Aladdin, focusing on how the Genie ended up in the lamp.
James and the Giant Peach, 1996
Roald Dahl’s beloved book will now be able to boast about having two film adaptions. Disney is set to remake its 1996 animated version of the book, but details are still scarce.
Night on Bald Mountain, 1940
In a slightly unexpected live-action remake, Disney has decided to tell the story of Chernaborg, the demon gargoyle from its 1940 film Fantasia.
Prince Charming, 1950
Disney has so many Prince Charmings that we’re not sure which one this movie will focus on. Could it be Snow White, Cinderella or Sleeping Beauty’s prince? Or all three?
The Sword in the Stone, 1963
One of Disney’s lesser-known films, it tells the story of a young King Arthur. The live-action film will reportedly be written by Game of Thrones’s Bryan Cogman.
Tinkerbell, 1953
Of course this sassy little fairy will be getting her own live-action remake too. Rumour has it Reese Witherspoon could be bringing everyone’s favourite fairy to life. |
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Post by veu on Aug 6, 2020 3:59:37 GMT -5
From People: Chloe x Halle on Quarantining Together and Getting Beyoncé's Stamp of Approval
The R&B sister duo worked on a super-special project during quarantine — shooting their first Fendi campaign!
By Kaitlyn Frey and Andrea Lavinthal Updated August 05, 2020 02:35 PM
When it comes to their time quarantining together during the coronavirus pandemic, R&B singers Chloe and Halle Bailey have had a pretty unique experience.
The sisters dropped their second LP, Ungodly Hour, in June, and were named the new faces of Fendi’s Peekaboo bag just last week. But landing such a big gig amid a pandemic meant that Chloe, 22, and Halle, 20, had to shoot the latest installment of the brand's #MeAndMyPeekaboo video series on their own — so they transformed their backyard into a full fashion shoot.
"Being in quarantine, the backyard has become our new stage," Chloe tells PEOPLE. The video for the campaign is set to one of the songs off their new album, Busy Boy, "because we thought it has the same attitude as Fendi," adds Halle. "[So] we're serving in our Fendi dresses on the tennis court and we went in the pool. It was a moment to be a little sassy."
Even though they had to take production into their own hands, the stars didn't feel nervous about it. "Actually, we didn't panic because I think we've gotten some practice with our at-home live performances and putting on productions in our backyard," Chloe says. "So we were actually really excited that we got to have full creative control of how we wanted this campaign to end up."
When it comes to their time quarantining together during the coronavirus pandemic, R&B singers Chloe and Halle Bailey have had a pretty unique experience.
The sisters dropped their second LP, Ungodly Hour, in June, and were named the new faces of Fendi’s Peekaboo bag just last week. But landing such a big gig amid a pandemic meant that Chloe, 22, and Halle, 20, had to shoot the latest installment of the brand's #MeAndMyPeekaboo video series on their own — so they transformed their backyard into a full fashion shoot.
"Being in quarantine, the backyard has become our new stage," Chloe tells PEOPLE. The video for the campaign is set to one of the songs off their new album, Busy Boy, "because we thought it has the same attitude as Fendi," adds Halle. "[So] we're serving in our Fendi dresses on the tennis court and we went in the pool. It was a moment to be a little sassy."
Even though they had to take production into their own hands, the stars didn't feel nervous about it. "Actually, we didn't panic because I think we've gotten some practice with our at-home live performances and putting on productions in our backyard," Chloe says. "So we were actually really excited that we got to have full creative control of how we wanted this campaign to end up."
Since the singers spend so much time together between work and personal life (especially during quarantine!), Chloe and Halle admit that just like any other sisters, they experience their moments of bickering.
"Oh yes, of course. I'm the little sister, so I feel like naturally, little sisters are a bit more annoying!" Halle says. But they don't hold on to grudges for long. "Every time we get in a little disagreement, it never lasts longer than an hour or two. We never go to sleep angry. It's just not possible with us, because we're so close and that's my best friend," she adds.
Halle (who will star in the upcoming Little Mermaid live-action remake) says having her sister as her business partner makes navigating the entertainment industry a little less overwhelming. But the singers, who signed with Beyoncé’s music label Parkwood Entertainment in 2015, are also lucky to have Queen Bey as one of their biggest mentors and cheerleaders.
"We always have her full support backing us no matter what we decide to do," Chloe says. "She gives us pieces of beautiful advice from time-to-time, but we are our own individual artists. She appreciates that and nurtures it."
Halle's grateful to constantly have Beyoncé remind them "how proud of us she is" and give them words of empowerment that "literally makes your whole day."
"She changes your whole perspective and reminds you that you are powerful, that you have the power, what you are doing is impactful and making a statement and you're doing something good for the world," Halle says. "So that definitely always gives us an extra rocket boost."
She adds, "As two young women who have always looked up to her since the beginning of time, that's like, 'Wow.'"
The sisters are also spreading that same kind of positivity and light to their fans (which totals over 3 million followers on Instagram alone!).
"We try not to get lost in the sauce," Chloe says. "We're just so grateful to have amazing supporters who support what we do and buy our music, and we're really grateful for that. Through it all, we just remain authentically ourselves."
That authenticity includes speaking out about social justice, which is a big part of their platform. "All we want to do is share the message of positivity, love and justice," Halle says. "As Black women, it's not just something that started a few weeks ago — it's been a part of our whole lives."
Besides releasing new music, shooting fashion campaigns and staging cool Spice Girl-themed performances (see their clip from the GLAAD Media Awards here), they say they're not focused on anything else — specifically dating — at the moment.
"At the end of the day, our safety is our priority, so we're not really leaving the house at all," says Halle about social distancing.
As for Chloe, she's focusing on herself. "It would be nice to have a cute little quarantine [crush], but that's not me right now," she says. "I'm really focused on myself and learning to love myself more. I think that you have to learn how to fully love who you are in order to give yourself to someone else, so I feel like this is a good time. I'm getting myself ready for myself and others." |
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Post by veu on Aug 6, 2020 5:03:03 GMT -5
From Variety: Variety’s Power of Young Hollywood List 2020
By Thomas K. Arnold, Jem Aswad, Randee Dawn, Diane Garrett, Shirley Halperin, Paula Hendrickson, Steven J. Horowitz, Carole Horst, Todd Longwell, Brooke Mazurek, Addie Morfoot, Jenelle Riley, Chris Willman
Like the rest of us, the talents on this year’s Young Hollywood list have had their lives disrupted by the coronavirus: Productions were halted and tours canceled. But these artists, who include actors, musicians and digital stars, have continued to flourish during the pandemic-forced shutdown of the entertainment industry, flexing new creative muscles or simply taking the opportunity to catch up with friends and loved ones. This report casts a spotlight on their work before and during the pandemic, and looks ahead to when Hollywood fully emerges from the global health crisis.
Instead of our annual Power of Young Hollywood party, Variety is presenting a one-hour program that will premiere on Facebook on Thursday, Aug. 6 at 6 p.m. PT/9 p.m. ET. It will feature talent featured in our Power of Young Hollywood issue and benefit Rock the Vote.
Maude Apatow
ACTOR
Though she appeared in her father’s hits before her 10th birthday, 22-year-old Maude has made a name for herself beyond her famous parents with roles on HBO’s “Euphoria” and Netflix’s “Hollywood.” This summer, she earned raves for her performance as Pete Davidson’s level-headed sister in “The King of Staten Island,” directed by father Judd. Excited to commence Season 2 of “Euphoria,” which halted just before shooting was set to begin, she’s been reading, “watching everything I’ve ever missed” and working on a script with her writing partner. Though times are uncertain, Apatow says she’s inspired by her peers: “I’m happy to be a part of a generation that feels very passionate about making real change.”
Aquaria
DRAG PERFORMER
At age 22, Aquaria won Season 10 of “RuPaul’s Drag Race,” one of the youngest victors. Signed to IMG, she has appeared in campaigns for Mac and Moschino x H&M, along with Vogue Italia. She’s been outspoken about political issues. “I think it’s smart to use my platform in that way. Not every LGBTQIA person gets to have their voice” heard so broadly. “I think that as far as queer art goes, [drag has] always been an open space to express yourself no matter your race. Almost all the achievements in queer art have been by Black people and people of color,” she says. “It’s our duty to give them credit.”
Gabby Barrett
MUSICIAN
Barrett, 20, is the once-in-a-half-generation country artist for whom the phrase “next Carrie Underwood” can be reasonably invoked in any context. Unlike Underwood, she was only a third-place finisher on “American Idol.” But she’s first in the hearts of those who waited for another powerhouse belter to come along and knock down barricades and land a debut single at No. 1 on the country charts, as Barrett did this spring with “I Hope,” a song of deceptively sweet-voiced vituperation that has crossed over to pop formats with a Charlie Puth-featuring remix. It’s the biggest country song of the year, but, like her voice, it’s just huge for any genre.
Blackpink
MUSICIANS
If 2019 was Blackpink’s breakthrough year, 2020 is its record-breaking one. Apart from a feature on Lady Gaga’s “Chromatica,” Jisoo, Jennie, Rosé and Lisa notched the biggest-ever YouTube premiere with “How You Like That” in June. The video, which ended the group’s one-year musical hiatus, garnered 86.3 million views within its first 24 hours and registered 1.66 million concurrent viewers. “It’s the starting point of our first full album, and we’re grateful to have made a strong start,” the K-pop quartet says in a joint statement. What’s next? “Instead of planning our future goals, the four of us tend to focus on the present. That way, we are able to be more focused on the now.”
Phoebe Bridgers
MUSICIAN
Already a rising star when her sophomore full-length “Punisher” was released to rapturous reviews in June, 25-year-old singer-songwriter Bridgers has been riding out the coronavirus pandemic from her Los Angeles apartment. “I’m so used to connecting with fans every day on tour,” she says, “and I’m realizing how much my ego relies on it, because I find myself in my house thinking, ‘Do people like my record?’ and I go on Instagram and I’m like, ‘Oh yeah, that guy likes it!’” She’s been doing livestreams but fans are also hoping lockdown will produce another release from Boygenius, her harmony-heavy, ironically Crosby Stills & Nash-styled “supergroup” with fellow femme bards Julien Baker and Lucy Dacus.
Emma Chamberlain
SOCIAL-MEDIA ENTREPRENEUR
She’s irreverent and funny, excitable and even awkward — and has millions of YouTube, TikTok and Instagram followers because of it. The UTA client has her own coffee company, and a podcast called Anything Goes, plus partnerships with fashion giants Louis Vuitton and Calvin Klein. “I don’t put all my eggs in one basket. I try to be on every platform,” she says of her entrepreneurial career path. “So I’m trying to do other things at the same time so that no matter what happens —like I have many things that I’m passionate about and excited about — so that I don’t feel like this pressure on one thing.”
Karen Chee
LATE-NIGHT WRITER
Now 25, Chee joined “Late Night With Seth Meyers” after writing jokes for Golden Globes co-hosts Sandra Oh and Andy Samberg in 2019. As its youngest writer, she regularly plays off the age gap between her and host Meyers in segments called “What Does Karen Know?” She also mines her Korean-American heritage for comedy, celebrating “Parasite’s” four Oscar victories on screen in February. During the pandemic, Chee has continued to appear on segments from her apartment. “In the beginning, my brain sort of felt like it had stopped working,” says Chee, who has also written for the New Yorker. “I had to let my emotions ride out for a bit.”
Chloe x Halle
SINGERS, ACTORS
Sister act Chloe and Halle Bailey, ages 22 and 20, respectively, had already finished recording their sophomore album, “Ungodly Hour,” and Halle was in London for rehearsals on Disney’s live-action reboot of “The Little Mermaid” when the pandemic struck. “We believe in divine timing,” say the signees to Beyoncé’s Parkwood Entertainment. “Funnily enough, this time has allowed us to expand our creativity and think outside of the box when it comes to our music and visuals.” Their critically heralded album was released in June; they staged a laser light show on their home tennis court for Global Citizen’s “Global Goal” concert; and for the “Today” show there was a drone-assisted, pool-backdrop creation. “In the midst of this crazy year of 2020, we want our music to bring peace and healing for listeners.”
Michael Cimino
ACTOR
Cimino’s starring role as a questioning Latinx teen in Hulu’s “Love, Victor” has been a breakthrough for the 20-year-old. “It’s been great seeing all this positive recognition for the show and how it’s affected people. It’s an honor to represent the LGBTQ community,” says the actor. “I want to be the person that represents their struggle, their story, their ethnicity, whatever it may be, and to represent them accurately by depicting them in a way that’s true to life.” He recently helped launch We the Movement L.A., which has raised money to aid Black-owned businesses in the Pico-Redondo area of Los Angeles.
Charli D’Amelio
SOCIAL-MEDIA POWERHOUSE
The 16-year-old has more than 73 million followers on TikTok, amassed in about a year on the platform. She’s gained that following with her dance posts, but she’s also relatable — she recently had surgery to correct a breathing problem and has continued to post despite her black eyes and bandages. She also uses her platform to champion causes, including Black Lives Matter. “I’ve been given this voice where people can listen and see the things that I have to say. So I just want to be able to continue to use that, to spread a positive message.”
Roman Griffin Davis
ACTOR
Now 13, Davis was 11 when he earned a Golden Globe nomination for starring alongside Scarlett Johansson as a young Nazi devotee in “Jojo Rabbit.” But awards shows and accolades haven’t changed him. He starred opposite Keira Knightley in “Silent Night,” written and directed by his mother, Camille Griffin, “which was a lot of fun, but at the end of the day I still go to school and still do the dishes. So, I guess my life hasn’t massively changed, and I’m very glad.” Since COVID, however, he’s been spending a lot of time on his phone when not engaging in remote learning. “I’ve been kind of greedy with this time,” he says.
Kaitlyn Dever
ACTOR, MUSICIAN
The 23-year-old has long been a standout performer, but in the past year she has emerged as a leading lady: First came “Booksmart,” followed by a stunning turn as rape victim Marie Adler in Netflix’s “Unbelievable.” The latter earned Dever a Golden Globe nomination. She kicked off the year with a nomination from BAFTA for the EE Rising Star Award. In February, Beulahbelle, her singing sister act with Mady, released its first single. Dever is set next for the “Dear Evan Hansen” film adaptation and will appear in the COVID-themed HBO movie “Coastal Elites.”
Daisy Edgar-Jones & Paul Mescal
ACTORS
“Normal People” premiered mid-pandemic, so Edgar-Jones and Mescal have been largely shielded from public reaction to the Hulu series. “A lot of people on our phones are saying the show is popular, but I think, ‘Yeah, obviously. People are locked inside,’” Mescal says. Both actors relish playing their complex, flawed characters. “He’s set the bar very high for me in what I want from characters in terms of complexity and rigor. A character like that tests you as an actor quite vigorously, and Connell represents something I’ll be chasing, I feel, for the rest of my career,” says Mescal, Emmy-nominated for his performance. Edgar-Jones, who recently signed with UTA, “absolutely loved getting to play a complex and flawed figure like Marianne,” calling her “representative of the women I am surrounded by.”
Billie Eilish and Finneas O’Connell
MUSICAL SIBLINGS
How self-conscious are Eilish, 18, and O’Connell, 23, about seeming mature and accomplished well beyond their years? “I think time has always felt like it was running out for me my whole life,” O’Connell says. “Like, every day I wake up and my first feeling is: Time is running out! Which is so goofy.” Their latest triumph was a heralded Bond theme, “No Time to Die,” which snuck out on the heels of Eilish winning five Grammys, including the record/song/album/new artist quadruple crown, and O’Connell winning four. Another new song of theirs, “Everything I Wanted,” is among 2020’s most popular tracks. Here’s hoping they stay that prolific, while taking the advice of another Bond theme: You’ve got all the time in the world.
Elle Fanning
ACTOR, PRODUCER
Child actors rarely grow up as enterprising as Fanning, already a 20-year industry veteran at age 22. She’s at ease producing and acting in films including 2020’s “All the Bright Places” and her first TV series, Hulu’s “The Great,” in which she plays Catherine the Great; she and sister Dakota have formed their own (as yet unnamed) shingle. Color-blind casting on both projects was important to her, particularly in the historical rewrite of “Great,” which she wanted to be both “modernized and accessible.” Up next post-quarantine: feature “The Nightingale.” “I never want to settle in a comfortable place,” she says. “It’s been interesting growing up, finding where you fit in this world.”
Sidney Flanigan and Talia Ryder
ACTORS
Flanigan and Ryder both made their feature film debuts in Eliza Hittman’s searing abortion drama “Never Rarely Sometimes Always,” which debuted at Sundance and won the Silver Bear at Berlin before a short theatrical debuted truncated by the coronavirus shutdown. Flanigan, a musician, was initially hesitant about taking on an acting project. But after signing on she promised to never let pregnant Autumn be seen as a victim or helpless. “My character is guarded and private, but also decisive,” says Flanigan, who recently signed with Gersh. Ryder, who plays Autumn’s cousin Skylar, was intrigued by the timely storyline. “Although there are a lot of other things going on right now in our country, abortion is still a big problem,” says Ryder, who next appears in Steven Spielberg’s “West Side Story” remake and graduated from high school during the pandemic. “So I definitely wanted to be part of a project that shined a light on the issue.”
Shira Haas
ACTOR
Tel Aviv-based Haas, now 25, has been working steadily since she was 16. Prior to snagging the lead role in Netflix’s “Unorthodox,” released by the streamer on March 26, she starred in the Israeli TV series “Shtisel.” The creators of “Unorthodox” looked all over the world for the actor to portray Esther Shapiro, a young Hasidic woman from Brooklyn that starts a new life in Germany, searching for someone that could sing, play piano, understand English and learn Yiddish. There were moments when Haas, taught Yiddish “from scratch” by the show’s cultural consultant, Eli Rosen, doubted she ever would be able to succeed. The demanding role also required her to nail a singing audition scene.
“This is a story about a woman trying to find her own home, and has struggles finding it — and eventually finding it within herself,” Haas says.
She’s now working on Season 3 of “Shtisel,” which gained international popularity after Netflix began streaming it in late 2018.
Read more about Haas and her breakthrough work on “Unorthodox” here.
Jalaiah Harmon
TIKTOK DANCE QUEEN
Harmon, a 14-year-old from Atlanta, created “Renegade,” a viral TikTok dance that has drawn praise from Michelle Obama, Lizzo and various members of the Kardashian clan. A formally trained dancer, she didn’t think too much about the moves while she was creating them. “I just found a song and I just created moves just to go with the beats and the words, just to mix,” she says. “It was just another dance that I had created one day. But I didn’t know it was going to go viral.” She has since choreographed a “Scoob!” dance challenge and amassed millions of TikTok followers.
Jerry Harris
DOCUMENTARY STAR
Harris, whose infectious enthusiasm and joy made him the breakout star of the hit Netflix doc series “Cheer,” is riding out the pandemic at home in Chicago, where he’s doing his chores, staying humble and posting upbeat new content to his millions of followers on social media while working toward a business degree and exploring new opportunities. “I believe America is ready, and that means the entertainment industry needs to be ready especially for stories from Black Americans like myself,” he says. “We’re all part of the great American story and we all have stories to be told. Black Americans have an amazing history and culture that we are ready to share with everyone.”
Ryan Kaji
YOUTUBE IMPRESARIO
Only 8 years old, Kaji reportedly made $22 million and $26 million in 2018 and 2019, respectively, from his YouTube videos, along with a line of Ryan’s World products sold at Walmart and Target. “Ryan’s Mystery Playdate” began airing on Nick Jr. last year. Best-known for his toy review videos, which he began doing at the age of 3, he recently branched out into educational content, animation and Japanese- and Spanish-language clips, many of which co-star his parents (Loann and Shion) and his sisters (twins Emma and Kate). Ryan, who typically makes three to four videos a week, says, “I’m not tired of the pace because I feel like it’s fun shooting it.”
Kehlani
MUSICIAN
Three years after releasing her star-turning debut album “SweetSexySavage,” R&B singer Kehlani returned with her soul-baring full-length followup “It Was Good Until It Wasn’t” in May. It arrived as the crown jewel in a year of high-profile moments, including collaborations with Justin Bieber and Zedd as well as the release of fan favorite EP “While We Wait.” Of course, the pandemic has been a hitch in the album rollout: “The most challenging part was having to learn how to do everything myself,” says the 25-year-old. But despite the steps forward in her burgeoning career, one moment stands out as her proudest: “When my daughter started saying ‘Momma’ to my face,” she says of her 1-year-old.
Leah Lewis
ACTOR
Actors speak of a breakthrough role as being life-altering, but starring in Netflix’s hit rom-com “The Half of It” has life-long ripple effects for Lewis, who was adopted from Shanghai at 6 months old. “It awakened a part of myself I hadn’t been awake to before,” says Lewis, 23. “I’ve gotten in touch with my Asian heritage, and I’ve learned so much this year about where I stand in society.” Exposure from “Half” and a second season of “Nancy Drew” may lead to roles in action films, she hopes. “I want to be a Chinese warrior,” she says. “Of course, that’s just total spitballing.”
Dua Lipa
MUSICIAN
Lipa’s 2017 self-titled debut was one of the most gradual success stories in recent memory, culminating in her winning the best new artist prize at the Grammy Awards two years later. That success, along with her guest spots on smash singles with Calvin Harris and Silk City, provided a perfect on-ramp for her disco-inflected second album. “Future Nostalgia” dropped two weeks after the pandemic set in. “I thought most of the dancing would have been in clubs, but I was thrilled to watch people dancing in their homes,” says the 24-year-old. “It’s been a beautiful reaction.” While she stirred up some controversy with online comments about Kosovo, the region her family fled amid the refugee crisis in the 1990s, she’s also branching out with a guest spot on “Un Dia,” the new single from Latinx superstars J Balvin and Bad Bunny.
Nicole Maines
ACTOR, ACTIVIST
Maines became TV’s first trans superhero on the CW’s “Supergirl” in October 2018 and has since worked with the show’s writers to hone trans stories in scripts. “Hollywood is ready to tell these trans stories — it’s just a matter of will they do it,” says Maines, “Susan Doe” in the Maine Supreme Court case Doe v. Clenchy revolving around bathroom access for transgender students. “Having a trans character not written as the Trans Character, who just happens to be transgender — that’s what we need to see more of.” Now 22, she has also starred in the 2019 vampire feature “Bit.”
Maluma
MUSICIAN, ACTOR
The Colombian talent collaborated with Madonna and J.Lo last year and received his first Grammy nom, for the album “11:11” in the Latin Pop Album category. His collaboration with Madonna, “Medellín,” has amassed more than 47 million views on YouTube. The song carries extra weight for Maluma because it is named after the city where he was born and still lives part-time (along with Miami) when he’s not touring.
Yes, he acknowledges, it is “well-known around the world because of Pablo Escobar, the cocaine, the violence. But I feel like right now I have this responsibility, a big responsibility, to change the face of my country.”
Maluma, born Juan Luis Londoño Arias, is scheduled to make his big-screen debut — when movies return — opposite Lopez in the upcoming Universal Pictures romantic comedy “Marry Me,” in which he plays a narcissistic pop star named Bastian who lives his life on social media.
Megan Thee Stallion
MUSICIAN
Even the pandemic couldn’t slow Megan Thee Stallion down: She blew up the BET Awards with a stunning, socially distanced, “Mad Max”-themed video for “Savage,” she was a judge on HBO Max’s ballroom competition show “Legendary” (which has been renewed for a second season), and social media was aflutter over whether her new friendship with Kylie Jenner meant that she was no longer BFFs with Jordyn Woods.
But in the early hours of July 12, things got complicated: After a night of COVID-defying party-hopping that included a visit to Jenner’s house, the musician became involved in a tabloid frenzy involving Canadian rapper Tory Lanez. She spoke with Variety about fame, Black Lives Matter and Beyonce.
Normani
MUSICIAN
In the final moments of Normani’s expertly choreographed video for her hit song “Motivation,” the Fifth Harmony alum loses the crew of dancers she’s partnered with. It’s just her, expertly nailing a flip on a basketball court, proving she’s a star who stands firmly on her own. “I have become a better leader in all aspects of my career and personal life,” the 24-year-old says of her work this past year. This includes her role as Urban Decay’s Global Citizen: “It was crucial that I align with a company that values diversity and inclusion. Black is beautiful, and it is important to me to spread that message.”
Post Malone
MUSICIAN
The 25-year-old upped the ante last September with the release of his third album, “Hollywood’s Bleeding,” on the heels of his blockbuster “Beerbongs & Bentleys.” With a sharpened sound and stickier hooks, the project spawned a string of record-breaking singles including “Circles” and “Wow,” and became the second-biggest album of the year next to Taylor Swift’s “Lover.” Though he had to cancel the remainder of his North American tour due to the pandemic, Malone has stayed busy, putting out his own French rosé wine called Maison No. 9, which sold out two days after it launched in June, and raising $500,000 for coronavirus relief with a Nirvana tribute show on YouTube.
'Outer Banks' cast mates: Madison Bailey, Madelyn Cline, Jonathan Daviss and Rudy Pankow
ACTORS
What happens when you mix handsome, largely unknown twentysomethings with a YA adventure series about a treasure hunt? A surprise Netflix hit called “Outer Banks,” featuring Bailey, Cline, Daviss and Pankow. “With an ensemble cast comes this team feeling; it’s very much team spirit,” says Pankow, 21. Daviss, who was selling shoes in Saks when he landed the part of Pope, is impressed with the depth of characterization in the series: “They wanted to make him more than just the Black Friend,” the 21-year-old explains. The actors in the ensemble, led by relative elder Chase Stokes, 27, have worked steadily, but the show is a breakthrough for each. “I’ve been completely taken off-guard,” says Cline, 22, of the show’s fervent fan base. “In the best way possible.” She shot Kygo’s newest video with Stokes, and the couple recently went public with their off-screen relationship. One benefit to starring in a hit series during quarantine: The ensemble has been able to share friendship and newfound celebrity in relative privacy, via FaceTime, SnapChat or Instagram DMs, which they do, incessantly. “We all hang outside of work and have actual friendships,” says Bailey, 21. “Something about our vibes and energy just lines up.”
Anastasia (Nastya) Radzinskaya
YOUTUBER
Radzinskaya was diagnosed with cerebral palsy at birth, but that hasn’t stopped the 6-year-old Russian native from becoming a digital superstar, with 130 million subscribers and 4 billion monthly views across her “Like Nastya” YouTube channels, which feature content in four languages (Russian, English, Spanish and Mandarin) and generate reportedly close to $20 million annually. In May she signed a deal with IMG to create a line of consumer products, including toys, apparel and housewares, as well as food and beverage products. Now based in Florida, she maintains a steady output of two to three videos per week. “Filming the videos allows our family to play together and spend quality time together more often,” her parents tell Variety in a joint statement.
Maitreyi Ramakrishnan
ACTOR
The 18-year-old-star of Netflix’s breakout hit “Never Have I Ever” landed the starring role in the series created by Mindy Kaling and Lang Fisher after Kaling posted a casting notice on social media. Of Tamil Hindu descent from Sri Lanka, Ramakrishnan was born and raised in Ontario, Canada, and bested countless others to land the role of Devi, a 15-year-old Indian-American girl navigating high school while coping with the loss of her father. Not only is the show her first professional acting job, it’s her first job ever. Quarantined in her home in Canada, she’s “still getting used to the idea that people are watching my face willingly,” and while the second season of the show has been greenlit, Ramakrishnan has no idea what’s going to happen. “I’m just excited to see where the story goes. It’s the ultimate ‘what’s next’ for me. Honestly, every day is a ‘what’s next’ for me.”
Roddy Ricch
MUSICIAN
After breaking through with the mournful street tale “Die Young” in 2018, the 21-year-old Compton rapper released his gritty debut studio album, “Please Excuse Me for Being Antisocial,” in December and quickly gained traction with the inescapable smash “The Box,” which is was No. 1 on the Rolling Stone Top Songs chart for five weeks. He added a trophy to his shelf with a Grammy win for rap performance thanks to a feature on Nipsey Hussle’s “Racks in the Middle,” and maintained chart dominance with a guest turn on DaBaby’s “Rockstar.” And yet, he says, “you can’t really dwell on wins and losses too much, because when you do that, then the highs and lows begin to dwell on you.”
Brent Rivera
DIGITAL CREATOR
Only 22 years old, Rivera has amassed 65 million followers across his social-media channels (YouTube, Instagram, Twitter, TikTok, etc.), as well as a nice collection of acting credits, including Hulu’s “Light as a Feather” and a starring role in the 2017 movie “Alexander IRL.” Two years ago, he and partner Max Levine co-founded Amp Studios, a talent incubator for up-and-coming creators with millions of followers of their own. He’s developing a lineup of original characters for multi-platform storytelling and merchandising. “Like a superhero or a princess,” he says. “I think there’s a big market for it and no one’s really done it.”
Bretman Rock
DIGITAL PERSONALITY
Rock’s MTV reality series “No Filter” got pushed back because of the pandemic, but the Hawaii-based beauty and lifestyle star is still busy entertaining his 22 million daily followers with YouTube makeovers, food challenges and unscripted series (“Plant of the Day,” “Bretman the Science *****”) and provocative Instagram modeling shots. Seen last year in the fourth season of the YouTube series “Escape the Night,” the 22-year-old Filipino native also has a pilot in the works for the Ellen Digital Network, titled “Bretman U,” and a host of big plans. “I don’t want to be just an online personality,” he says. “I want to be in commercials and movies.”
Olivia Rodrigo
ACTOR, MUSICIAN
Rodrigo literally grew up on Disney Channel, and is stretching her wings as Nini in Disney Plus’s “High School Musical: The Musical: The Series,” which she calls the perfect intersection of acting, singing, dancing and songwriting. “I’m grateful to the executives and our showrunner who took a chance on some teenagers and let them write songs for such an amazing project. And it turned out really well. It’s an amazing experience that has opened a lot of doors for me,” Rodrigo says. “I never went to regular high school, I’ve always been homeschooled, so this is my high school.”
Eliza Scanlen
ACTOR
The Australian actor was in New York, starring in “To Kill a Mockingbird,” when COVID-19 shut down Broadway, ending her run as Mayella Ewell, who makes a false rape accusation in Aaron Sorkin’s stage adaptation of Harper Lee’s novel. The 21-year-old, who broke through in HBO’s “Sharp Objects,” starred as Beth March in Greta Gerwig’s “Little Women” and plays a terminally ill teen Milla in Shannon Murphy’s “Babyteeth.” But it’s not a weeper. “I connected most with her irreverence,” she says of Milla. “What I found is that Shannon requested me to be as much myself as I can and not create a character so much and find it somewhere within me.”
JoJo Siwa
MUSICIAN, ACTOR, ENTREPRENEUR
Siwa, who has a social media following closing in on 25 million and a billion-dollar merch empire in partnership with Nickelodeon, initially welcomed the chance to relax when the pandemic virtually shut down the entertainment industry. But after two weeks, she came up with a Plan B, having decided: “I can’t let my career die by just doing nothing.” Siwa built a stage in her backyard, and has been filming performances every week for her YouTube channel. “I got really creative,” she says. “Everyone was doing a performance from the couch, or doing it from their kitchen. I was like, ‘Mom, I can’t do that. If I’m going to perform I want to perform.'” She also booked a big-screen acting gig in “Bounce,” produced by none other than Will Smith.
Hailee Steinfeld
ACTOR, PRODUCER, MUSICIAN
It’s been a big year for the multihyphenate, who finished shooting Season 2 of “Dickinson,” the Apple TV Plus series about poet Emily Dickinson that she stars in and executive produces, shortly before lockdown began. “It’s really fun to take the wildness and creative genius that is her mind and work and have a show that’s our interpretation of what might have been going through her mind at the time of writing these poems,” Steinfeld says. Also a musician, Steinfeld released an EP, “Half-Written Story,” in the spring. “I was really excited to finally get a small body of work, music, into the world that I’m really proud of and excited for people to hear.”
Anya Taylor-Joy
ACTOR
When choosing roles, Taylor-Joy aims for the dark and clever, defying easy categorization: Having broken through in 2017’s Robert Eggers-directed “The Witch,” she’s recently dazzled in other period pieces such as Netflix’s “Peaky Blinders” and this year’s feature “Emma.” Up next: re-pairing with Eggers for feature “The Northman” (“that just feels like going home”) and a star turn in Netflix’s limited series “The Queen’s Gambit.” “I’ve grown up working on projects back-to-back,” she says about her busy schedule, “but never quite like last year.” She spent quarantine with “two housemates and a loved one,” which has been an “interesting exercise in being quiet.”
Rickey Thompson
DIGITAL PERSONALITY
Starting out on the now-defunct Vine app before moving to YouTube (1.24 million subscribers) and Instagram (5.9 million followers), Thompson parlayed his talent for comedic monologues into acting (YouTube’s “Foursome”), modeling (H&M’s Pride Collection) and hosting (Harper Bazaar’s online series “Royal Tea With Rickey Thompson”) gigs. The 24-year-old North Carolina native wrapped his Snapchat docuseries “Road Trippin’,” following his cross-country adventures with Instagram star Denzel Dion, before the pandemic hit, but COVID-19 ruined his summer plans. “I was going to go all over Europe with my best friends and stuff, but, obviously, that couldn’t happen,” he says.
Lexi Underwood
ACTOR
A “Scandal” fan, Underwood calls being cast as Mia’s (Kerry Washington) daughter, Pearl, in Hulu’s “Little Fires Everywhere” a full-circle moment. “I felt proud every time I saw her on screen because there wasn’t much representation of strong Black women in the media.” She’s very specific about representation, too. “Let’s make sure the Black woman isn’t a broken-down character or a sidekick; the Asian character isn’t the stereotypical smart overachiever or nail tech; the Hispanic woman isn’t always a maid.” Underwood created “We the Voices of GenZ” “to spark pure dialogue, encourage action and create sustainable solutions that support our collective right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness — for all Americans regardless of race, color, religion, gender or sexual orientation.”
Summer Walker
MUSICIAN
The 24-year-old Atlanta singer had a banner year in 2019, setting it off with a Drake-assisted remix of moody single “Girls Need Love.” In October, she dropped her first studio album, “Over It,” executive produced by red-hot producer London on da Track and featuring guest appearances from Usher, Jhené Aiko and former touring partner 6lack. Her open struggle with anxiety led her to cancel 20 of the 29 dates on her “First and Last” Tour, but she delivered a standout performance at the 2020 BET Awards alongside Usher as well as her “Life on Earth” EP, released in July. Her quarantine goal: “Just trying to keep my sanity and learn as much as I can,” she says.
UP NEXT: Annalise Basso
ACTOR
At 21, Basso already has appeared in movies including “Captain Fantastic” and “Ouija: Origin of Evil.” Her latest role is in TNT’s post-apocalyptic adaptation of Bong Joon-ho’s “Snowpiercer,” and Basso says the friendless and always-angry L.J. Folger is a far cry from her real personality: “She’s manipulative, she’s a psycho — oh yeah, and she’s a murderer!” she says. “But that’s why she was so much fun to play. Her confidence and fearlessness are things I had to discover in myself.”
UP NEXT: Denzel Curry
MUSICIAN
The Carol City, Fla., native has been rapping since he was 12, concentrating rough sing-song rhymes into a handful of mixtapes and studio albums. Now 25, Curry hit his stride over the past year with the introspective record “Zuu” and collaborative “Unlocked” EP with producer Kenny Beats. The Black Lives Matter movement has only sharpened his perspective, making his music more outwardly political on recent single “Pig Feet” and upcoming album “Melt My Eyes.” “This is when we started doing stuff about it,” he says. “We have a platform, and I think every artist should use their platform to speak out.”
UP NEXT: Xochitl Gomez
ACTOR
Gomez brought an upbeat energy to Netflix’s reboot of “The Baby-Sitters Club,” transforming a character that had been a blonde Californian in previous iterations into a Latinx girl with two dads. “It’s really important that a Latina character and her family are represented on the show,” says the 14-year-old, who’s previously guested on “Gentefied” and “Raven’s Home.” “I grew up never seeing anyone who looked like me on TV.”
Joshua Caleb Johnson - Received 2020 (Young Hollywood)
UP NEXT: Joshua Caleb Johnson
ACTOR
In Showtime’s “The Good Lord Bird,” debuting in October, Johnson plays an enslaved boy who joins abolitionist John Brown on the famous 1859 Harpers Ferry raid, a prelude for the Civil War. It’s the 15-year-old’s first regular series gig after appearances on “Snowfall” and “Black-ish” — and voicing the video game “Madden NFL 2018.” “I take great pride in being able to be part of a show that depicts such a great moment in U.S. history, especially because we’re fighting the same cause John Brown fought over 100 years ago,” Johnson says.
AJ Mitchell - received 2020
UP NEXT: A.J. Mitchell
MUSICIAN
In the year since releasing his “Slow Dance” EP, 19- year-old Mitchell still hasn’t gotten used to the increasingly prestigious stages he’s found himself on. “[Performing at the 2019] VMAs was such an eye-opening moment for me, especially because I was surrounded by artists I grew up listening to,” the Illinois native says. “It was definitely one of the proudest moments in my career.” In recent months he has dropped three songs — “Spring Break” featuring Rich the Kid, “Burn” and “Imagine,” a collaboration with Steve Aoki and Frank Walker. With 8 million monthly listeners on Spotify, Mitchell’s forthcoming debut, “Skyview,” seems likely to cement his stardom.
Lance Oppenheim - received 2020
UP NEXT: Lance Oppenheim
DIRECTOR
“Some Kind of Heaven,” Oppenheim’s first feature doc, debuted at the 2020 Sundance Film Festival on his 24th birthday with Darren Aronofsky as a producer. With six short docs already under his belt, Oppenheim began working on “Heaven” while studying at Harvard, renting a room at America’s largest retirement community, the Villages, one summer. The film, about four senior citizens struggling to find happiness, not only attracted Aronofsky, a fellow Harvard grad, but also the backing of the New York Times newly formed production company.
Tess Romero - received 2020
UP NEXT: Tess Romero
ACTOR
In her first regular role, Romero stars as nothing less than the future leader of America: She portrays Elena, a Cuban American destined for the Oval Office, in the Disney Plus series “Diary of a Future President.” Producer-star Gina Rodriguez plays Romero’s adult counterpart. “I definitely like to stay on top of things, and it’s important to know what’s going on the world,” says Romero. As for the future: “It would be cool to do other genres, maybe a horror movie or period piece.”
Lovie Simone - received 2020
UP NEXT: Lovie Simone
ACTOR
The star of OWN’s “Greenleaf” series was hailed for her confident turn as a boarding school queen bee in the Amazon Studios film “Selah and the Spades,” which is being turned into a series. Simone, 21, recently wrapped the horror film “The Craft” and is in production on the prequel “Power Book III: Raising Kanan.” Of the hardboiled characters she plays, Simone says, “I enjoy accessing different layers of humanity through storytelling.”
Toby Wallace attending the closing red carpet as part of the 76th Venice Internatinal Film Festival (Mostra) on September 07, 2019. Photo by Aurore Marechal/Abaca/Sipa USA(Sipa via AP Images)
UP NEXT: Toby Wallace
ACTOR
The Australian won the young actor award for his nuanced performance in “Babyteeth” at the 2019 Venice Film Festival, with past projects including 2016’s “Boys in the Trees,” Aussie series “Romper Stomper” and Netflix teen dystopian hit “The Society.” He’s been in Los Angeles riding out COVID-19 with good humor. “I’ve been reading a lot of scripts. Doing a lot of writing — my own scripts — but just general writing, to keep as bloody sane as possible.”
UP NEXT: Rachel Zegler
ACTOR, MUSICIAN
Talk about a challenge: Zegler has taken on the iconic role of Maria, memorably played by the late Natalie Wood on the big screen, in Steven Spielberg’s upcoming “West Side Story” remake. The 19-year-old Colombian American says the role “is a dream come true, plain and simple.” And working alongside Spielberg, Zegler says, “is a master class in story-telling.” It’s her first turn before the cameras, although she’s starred in community musicals and has a YouTube channel with a healthy number of subscribers. |
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Post by veu on Aug 7, 2020 14:53:29 GMT -5
From GQ Magazine: MUSIC
Chloe x Halle will guide us through 2020's Ungodly Hour
By Olive Pometsey
7 August 2020
Young, passionate and immensely talented, Chloe x Halle have been in the spotlight ever since Beyoncé signed them as teenagers, but now they're superstars in their own right. Having released their latest album, Ungodly Hour, earlier this year, here, the sisters reveal their creative process and what they've been up to during lockdown (hint: it's more exciting than baking bread)
Just before the release of their second studio album, Ungodly Hour, sisters Chloe x Halle took to social media to explain that they would be postponing it out of respect to the Black Lives Matter movement that was gaining global traction after George Floyd's death. “Over these past few days, we've just been really angry and we've been hurting and physically shaken up by everything that's going on,” Chloe told the camera, echoing the sentiments of people all over the world. “My sister and I thought it was only right to postpone this album.”
It was worth the wait. When Chloe x Halle's album eventually arrived a week later, it was the breath of fresh air that the world was gasping for in the wake of so much trauma – uplifting black excellence personified by two strong, fearless young women, at just 22 and 20 years old respectively. From the album's lead single, “Do It”, to the soulful “Don't Make It Harder On Me”, Ungodly Hour is drenched in Chloe's 1990s R&B influences and Halle's penchant for jazz melodies, as the pair tightened and refined their sound, using their angelic vocals to sing more mature, not-so-angelic lyrics.
The album's brilliance was only to be expected when one looks at the career they've already had. Chloe x Halle, like many modern artists, first made their mark online with a YouTube channel of cover songs. Chloe was 13 at the time and Halle was eleven. Viral fame came after they posted a cover of Beyoncé's “Pretty Hurts”; IRL fame came when Queen Bey herself saw the video and signed them to her management company, Parkwood Entertainment. They then spent the best part of a decade fine-tuning their craft, releasing critically acclaimed projects such as their 2017 mixtape, The Two Of Us, and their debut album, 2018's Grammy-nominated The Kids Are Alright. But music isn't their only talent. Both sisters also landed recurring roles on Black-ish spin-off Grown-ish in 2018 and, soon, Halle will make cinematic history as Princess Ariel in Disney's live-action remake of The Little Mermaid, while Chloe will flex her own acting muscles alongside Russell Crowe in upcoming horror film The Georgetown Project.
They've not stopped working during lockdown either. In an era when artists have had to find innovative ways to bring live performances to their fans, Chloe x Halle have consistently gifted audiences with high-production concepts from their back garden, lighting up their tennis court for YouTube's “Dear Class Of 2020” online graduation event and pulling what looks like a full music video out of the bag for their BET Awards performance. Somehow, they still also found the time to hop on a Zoom call with GQ to chat about their album, lockdown life and growing up in the spotlight.
GQ: First things first, how have you guys been finding lockdown?
Halle: We've been finding lockdown pretty good. We've been doing everything we can to stay in the house and find new fun things to do, such as swimming, just centring ourselves in nature and bingeing all the shows.
Chloe: I feel like we've been watching a bunch of reality shows, such as Married At First Sight Australia, Love Island UK. We actually just started Love Island, the UK version, but we started on series five and it was so funny.
There's been so much going on this year, from coronavirus to Black Lives Matter. What has it been like releasing Ungodly Hour against that backdrop?
C: It's been interesting, but we're so grateful that, through this chaotic time, we can still try to find the beauty in it. I hope that that's what we did with our album, that we brought some light into people's lives. I feel like everything happens for a reason and this truly is the “ungodly hour”. In an odd way, the time when we put it out, it's exactly when it was supposed to come.
H: Normally when we release an album or a project, we do the press tour in New York, then we go back home and do the press tour in LA. Then we normally travel all over and go to all the radio stations and do interviews there. Doing it from home has been interesting, but it's been really positive actually too. It's amazing what you can do from home, with the performances and interviews. It's wild. Maybe we've never even needed to actually meet up and stuff. We can just do it through our computer.
Your lockdown performances have been some of the best we've seen. How has it been putting those together?
H: They're so much fun to do. We've been doing it with our creative director, Andrew Makadsi, who's like a mastermind when it comes to figuring out what we want to do from home. We feel like this album deserves quality content and especially quality performances. Sometimes the concepts are really easy to see, because the songs are so visual already, so when it comes to performing or coming up with music video ideas we just kind of follow along the story that's already been told in the song.
C: For the “Dear Class Of 2020” performance, YouTube and their crew came the day before we filmed it. It took them maybe five hours to set up all the lights and stuff on our tennis court, then we shot it the next day. It was really cool walking out and seeing how much it looked like a concert. We just got really, really excited and I feel like that moment was when we realised the possibilities were endless. I'm honestly grateful for that tennis court.
You've spoken before about how Ungodly Hour is a reflection of you growing up and transitioning into strong women. A lot of people who grow up in the spotlight really struggle with this transition. How have you both managed this?
C: I think it's been easy, because with anything we do we're just being ourselves. It's not a gimmick for us. It's not like some made-up story we're creating. We're literally just going through life, experiencing it, learning new things, getting our hearts broken, falling in love and telling these stories through our music. I just turned 22 and my sister's 20, so I feel like a lot of people don't realise that we are adults and we're no longer teenagers. It was really fun unveiling more of a personal side through our music with this album, because The Kids Are Alright and Two Of Us didn't have much to do with love. We really weren't experiencing it then and we just wanted to make a really positive change in the world. For Ungodly Hour, we wanted people to feel and understand that you don't have to be perfect. It's OK to love all your flaws and who you are during the “ungodly hour”.
You have also always had so much creative control over your work. Entering the industry at such a young age, was it ever a struggle for you to get that freedom?
H: What I think we got really lucky and blessed with is our parents, who have always instilled in us that we can do anything we put our minds to. We've always had a hand in our creativity because we feel like it's our story to tell. We write and produce everything that we touch, because it's so important. I feel like that's never been something that we've had to fight for, because we've just been like, “No, this is it. This is what we're doing.” When we were ten and eight years old, our dad sat us down and taught us the basics of how to write a song. Just knowing that we have the power within has been a theme and lesson that our parents have always instilled in our brains. Collaboration has also always been exciting and interesting for us, because we're used to working with one another. That's our safe space. With my sister, I can be truthful and honest. When you're working with somebody new, you're scared to step on their toes. That's why creativity for us has always been like, “Yes, we're going to do it.”
You do collaborate with a lot of cool people on the album, though, such as Scott Storch, Victoria Monét and Disclosure. What was that experience like?
C: All of the collaborations we did on this album were really fun. I loved it because we were able to still make our voices heard and not have it overshadowed by these big collaborators and big names. I think that we managed to keep that because after we would finish writing in the session with these amazing producers and songwriters, we would take the project back home and add more of our weird elements to it, like the ethereal backgrounds and all that stuff, so you could still hear Chloe x Halle as part of the music. We're always hidden and working by ourselves in our garage at home, so doing this was also very empowering for us, because we realised that we have the power too. These amazing, award-winning creators had processes that were like ours and it was pretty cool to see how we are just as capable, as two young black women coming up in this business.
H: For “Do It” [which Storch and Monét worked on], it was really fun because it's like you get a goodie bag. Once you're done with the session, you take the rough song home and you're like, “Ooh, so much to do with it!” After that session with Vic and Scott, we took it home and we just loaded thousands of background vocals all over the bridge and we made sure that the vocals were tight. My sister always takes it home for production, since she's such a genius in that world, and she will beef it up even bigger.
Is there anyone else that you'd like to collaborate with in the future?
H: Oh my goodness, we love so many artists right now! I'm really enjoying art that young women are putting out, such as Summer Walker and Snoh Aalegra. I also love Frank Ocean – Chloe and I are obsessed with him – and Andre 3000 would be a dream collaboration, but I don't know if he's wanting to still make music. And, of course, our mentor, Beyoncé. That's always a dream.
C: We love BTS too, as we just think they're outstanding performers. I feel like they could really hop on something with us that's pretty soulful and R&B. I love it when they do those type of songs.
Do you have any favourite memories from working on the album?
H: Mine would be writing the song “Baby Girl”. It was one of the first songs we wrote for Ungodly Hour and it was the day after Christmas. We decided to rent an Airbnb in Malibu right by the beach – the house was literally in the water. It was no parents allowed, just Chloe and I and our brother. We made 15 to 20 songs in that weekend, because we were just really inspired being by the water. “Baby Girl" was a really beautiful message that was really healing to me and my sister. Sometimes when you're feeling down, you need those empowering, encouraging words and that was like a conversation with ourselves throughout the whole album. After making it, I remember we just both felt like it instantly made us feel calmer and better.
C: I just feel like the whole project really embodies strength in a sonic form. I love how the themes, whether we're coming from a pretty vulnerable state, like we do in “Lonely” and “Forgive Me”, it still comes from a place of power. I'm happy that the music represents strong women in showing all of our layers in every way. It's pretty cool how my sister and I have two completely different lives and two different perspectives, because I feel like that's helped layer it not only musically, but lyrically.
How would you say your perspectives differ?
C: I love really alternative music and experimental sounds. I'm a huge fan of Imogen Heap, Grimes and Tune-Yards. Right now, I'm really loving Donna Summer and, when we were creating this, I was listening to a bunch of 1990s production such as Timbaland and Missy Elliott. That has kind of been my influence and my beautiful sister's melodies and crazy tone is inspired by jazz. You hear that even through her writing and through her storytelling. It feels so timeless. When our two styles come together, it creates us.
Obviously the world has had to put so much on pause this year. What are the projects that you can't wait to get back to when things return to normal?
H: Thankfully, we did not have to put this album on pause, because this was like the huge baby – we've been finished with this since October or November last year. That's the big one out of the way. But for me, personally, I'm excited to go back to London and finish what we started out there with the production of The Little Mermaid. I'm a little nervous, but excited.
C: I feel I'm just a go-with-the-flow-type person. Honestly, I've been learning that every time I try to plan something, it doesn't work out. I just gotta trust divine timing. Whatever happens, happens.
That's definitely the best attitude to have in 2020. Looking even further forward, what are the ultimate goals you'd like to achieve in your careers, since you've already done so much?
H: There's so much I feel like I want do and want my sister and I to do, but number one is to just spread the love, spread happiness and positivity. If I can just make somebody feel good or get goosebumps from one of our songs, then I feel like my life is complete. I hope when I leave this earth, people are just like, “They made us happy,” you know?
How does it feel looking back at how far you've come?
C: I think because we're in it, we don't really realise how fast everything happens. About a year and a half ago, our team made a reel that was around ten minutes long, showing all the things we've done. I was like, “Whoa!” It was pretty cool looking from the outside and stepping away from it for a minute. We're just two girls who really love to make music and to be able to have a career where we could do this and make money from it, it's literally a dream come true. This isn't overnight for us, we've been doing this since we were five and seven years old. We've always known that our dreams will come true, we just never knew how and when. To actually see it happen before our eyes is such an overwhelming feeling and we are filled with immense gratitude. I just hope that we can continue to grow and next year look back and be like, “Whoa, this happened too!” |
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